Oregon Coast Whale Watch Kicks Off Saturday

Published 12/26/2014

(Oregon Coast) – The Oregon coast's famed Whale Watch Week begins Saturday, running December 27 to January 3, and featuring more whales than you can shake a piece of seaweed at.

Oregon State Parks puts on the Whale Watch Week, where volunteers are posted at dozens of whale watching sites to help you spot the great beasts as they trek southward to Baja to give birth. With this annual peak migration period volunteers are there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday, along all of Oregon's 364 miles of coastline.

Winter's migration is usually fairly short-lived, usually about four weeks from the middle of December to the middle of January. They often have calves in tow and don't get slowed down by the little ones, with the pods zipping single-mindedly sothward.

About 18,000 gray whales will pass by the Oregon coast and another 1,000 or so Humpbacks may be seen. You can see their spouts, but they are distant.

The Whale Watch Week sites begin with one on the Washington coast at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Ilwaco, Washington.

Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach has one, and about 15 miles south at the Neahkahnie Mountain Historic Marker Turnout on Highway 101, just above Manzanita.

On the Three Capes Tour there is Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, Cape Lookout State Park (that one requires a 2.5-mile hike to the site at the tip of the Cape), and then several miles south at the top of Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City.

In Lincoln County, you'll find the most sites: Inn at Spanish Head Lobby on 10th floor (Lincoln City), Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint (near Depoe Bay), The Whale Watching Center/in Depoe Bay, Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint (just south of Depoe Bay), Cape Foulweather and the Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area (both between Newport and Depoe Bay), Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, and Don Davis City Park, also in Newport.

The next one is about a 30-minute drive south, past Yachats, at the Cape Perpetua Interpretive Center and the Cook's Chasm Turnout (directly on the Lincoln County/Lane County line). Another 15 miles southwards is the Sea Lion Caves Turnout – the large Highway 101 turnout south of the tunnel, north of Florence.

On the southern Oregon coast, the Whale Watch sites are Umpqua Lighthouse, near Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, Shore Acres State Park, Face Rock Wayside State Scenic Viewpoint, Battle Rock Wayfinding Point, Port Orford, Cape Ferrelo, Harris Beach State Park, Brookings, Oregon, and the 9th Street Beach, Crescent City, California.

For more information on Whale Watch Week call the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay, (541) 765-3407 and (541) 765-3304.

Also in conjunction with the Whale Watch Week, the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport has special programming everyday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At 1:30pm, attend a marine mammal program in Hennings Auditorium featuring hands-on whale biofacts such as baleen and skulls. There are numerous marine mammal displays and exhibits, see a marine mammal video in the auditorium, and keep up with local gray whale sightings by checking the Hatfield's posted lists. Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center. 2030 S. Marine Science Drive. Newport, Oregon. 541-867-0226.

See more updates about Oregon Coast Whales here.

Whale photo courtesy Seaside Aquarium

Whale photo courtesy Seaside Aquarium

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted